Unlocking the Potential of WooCommerce Subscriptions for Recurring Revenue

Customers crave convenience and reliability. Their importance becomes even higher on digital platforms. So, is there any way to streamline the business model to make things easier for customers? 

This makes subscription services more important to meet their needs. That's where you need a WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin for your WooCommerce website. 

With the ability to set up automatic recurring payments, customers can enjoy the convenience of automatically recurring payments with stable predictable revenues. This comprehensive guide will ensure you know everything about WooCommerce Subscriptions, maximizing your revenue potential.

What Is WooCommerce Subscriptions?

WooCommerce Subscriptions is a popular and widely used WordPress plugin for WooCommerce websites. WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform, known for its flexibility, and WooCommerce Subscriptions make it even easier. This plugin is an extension to add subscription and recurring billing features to WooCommerce-powered online stores.

WooCommerce Subscriptions is an excellent addition for businesses looking to offer subscription-based products or services. Recurring revenue, enhancing the customer experience, and helping to retain loyal customers’ management become a breeze with WooCommerce Subscriptions. 

Set Up Woo Subscriptions

1. Go to the search bar on your WordPress dashboard. Type Woo Subscriptions. 

2. Purchase and install Woo subscriptions.

3. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to WooCommerce. Then go to Products and add a product.

4. In the Product Data section, choose from variable or simple subscriptions. 

5. Set terms like price, billing interval and period, length, sign-up fee, and trial period for your subscription. For example, you can charge a customer $7.99 monthly and offer a 14-day trial. 

6. Add additional product details, like shipping information and inventory.

7. Click Publish at the top right of the page.

Variable Subscriptions provide customers with choices. For instance, you see coffee bags. Customers can choose from medium and large bags. You can set unique sign-up fees, trial periods, recurring prices, billing periods, and subscription lengths for each variation. 

Configure WooCommerce Subscriptions Settings

Untick the “Accept Manual Renewals” option within the Renewals section to fine-tune your WooCommerce Subscriptions settings. 

This configuration relieves you of the manual workload. WooCommerce Subscriptions automates the payment process for customers. Also, enable automatic retries for failed recurring payments under the Retry Failed Payment section.

Give customers the freedom to create accounts during Checkout: 

Navigate to your WooCommerce settings. Especially look for the Accounts & Privacy tab and confirm that customers can create an account during the checkout process. 

You can additionally opt for automatic account generation with their provided email addresses, with login credentials sent directly to their inbox.

Check your payment methods:

Verify that you possess at least one payment method that supports automatic recurring payments to ensure seamless integration with WooCommerce subscriptions. There will be a checkmark next to the payment method if it’s compatible with WooCommerce subscriptions.

Stripe, Authorize.Net, and PayPal, among other renowned payment options, are often available.

Create Your First Subscription Product

Simple Subscription 

Add a new product to your store to initiate your subscription journey. 

Configure the product type as a simple subscription and specify pricing and billing intervals, like subscription particulars. Add an appealing image of your product, and hit “Publish.”

If you’re transitioning existing non-subscription products into subscription offerings, consider using the Duplicate Post plugin to duplicate existing products. Then, adjust the product type accordingly. 

Variable Subscription

Delve into creating a variable subscription product to ensure product range and demand variability. Start by navigating to your WooCommerce dashboard. Click on "Products,” followed by “Add New.”

Select “Variable Subscription” in the product data section. Configure attributes and introduce variations. Provide variable prices and SKU information.

Perform a Test Order with a Subscription Product

Simulate a test checkout process to gain insight into the customer experience. 

Here are the instructions:

1. Begin by opening an incognito window. Navigate to your product page.

2. Initiate the subscription process by clicking on the “sign up now” button. 

3. Add the selected product to your cart and complete the checkout process. We recommend that you use an email address that is not associated with an administrator on your site. 

4. These steps will help you gain valuable insights into the customer experience during the subscription process.

5. Once the checkout is complete, a subscription order receipt will be sent to you at your email address. Check inbox.

6. Visit the Order Received page and click the “view” button to access information provided about your subscription on your Account page.

7. Customers will have access to key subscription details like the start date, the last order date, and the next payment date.

8. Customers will be able to manage subscriptions like cancellations, changing payment methods, or initiating early renewals if enabled.

9. Review and manage orders returning to the backend of your WooCommerce store, and click on the “Orders” tab.

Take these simple steps to embark on a WooCommerce subscription journey. This is a great way to maximize the success of your business model.

Market your subscription business to customers:

Marketing your business is far greater than figuring out how to implement the technology on your site. However, with WooCommerce subscriptions, there is nothing much to worry about. But how do you market your subscription product or service to customers?

You can motivate your customers to choose a recurring payment option using these steps:

1. Offer a discount for signing up.

2. Give one free trial that leads to a premium subscription at the end.

3. Create exclusivity with a select number of new subscribers in a given period.

4. Create a sense of urgency by giving limited time for subscriptions.

5. Give discounts or gifts to new members. 

6. Create a product of the month club with access to unique items.

7. Create VIP events, like celebrity appearances or parties for subscribers.

8. Offer additional customer service options.

9. Include extra benefits with a subscription.

There are several more strategies, depending on location. Combine those strategies with the power of the Woo Subscriptions extension.

Final Thoughts 

WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform. You can bring more diversity to your business on WooCommerce with the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin. Recurring revenue brings extra bucks that you won't get from not having a subscription model. 

However, you should make sure which products and services will work best. There are several ideas to apply, but don't immediately discount anything that comes to mind. On Google, you might be surprised to see how many businesses have succeeded with subscription models.

Implementing WooCommerce subscriptions is not just an adaptation to the changing landscape of e-commerce. You're taking charge of a business strategy to drive consistent revenue and foster lasting customer relationships. As you venture forth, remember that you have a powerful tool at your disposal to offer subscription experiences for your customers.

FAQs about WooCommerce Subscriptions 

Can you offer a free trial with WooCommerce subscriptions?

Yes, you can offer a free trial with WooCommerce subscriptions. However, it depends on the selected payment gateway. WooCommerce Subscriptions allows you to set a free trial period so users can try before buying. However, some payment gateways may not allow free subscriptions that have no immediate charge. You can also get along with this service with a free signup in some circumstances. 

Can I turn my products into subscriptions with WooCommerce?

Yes, you can benefit from all products with WooCommerce subscriptions. Any business where products are consumed and rendered regularly should opt for WooCommerce subscriptions. You can automate repurchases for your customers by turning products into subscription services. 

Can any business automate portions of its WooCommerce subscription?

AutomateWoo seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce Subscriptions, making managing subscriptions a breeze. This allows you to trigger workflows for subscription events as the subscription status changes. You can automate the renewal or expiration date as well as when the trial period is going to end. 

How do you stop users from taking advantage of free trials?

The Limit Subscription feature is one way in which WooCommerce Subscriptions can stop users from taking advantage of free trials. This ensures customers resubscribe to the service, and the account receives one free trial.